Conventionally, a fuel feed apparatus has a fuel pump that is accommodated in a fuel tank. The fuel feed apparatus includes a flange that covers an opening of the fuel tank. The fuel pump is supported by the flange via a stay. The stay has an axial end that is press-inserted into a hole formed in the flange, for example.
A fuel feed apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,394 (JP-A-11-101166) includes a sub-tank that accommodates a fuel pump. A stay connects the sub-tank with the flange. In this structure, the sub-tank is pressed onto a bottom wall of a fuel tank, so that the sub-tank is not apt to be twisted with respect to the flange. Therefore, force applied to the stay in the circumferential direction thereof becomes small.
However, when a pump is suspended from a flange into a fuel tank, or when force pressing a sub-tank onto a bottom wall of a fuel tank is small, the flange may be twisted with respect to the fuel pump in a fuel feed apparatus. Specifically, a stay connecting the flange with the sub-tank is substantially circular in cross section, and the flange has a circular hole, into which the stay is press-inserted. Accordingly, when the flange is twisted relative to the fuel pump, the stay circumferentially is rotated in the hole of the flange.
It is conceived to provide an additional component such as a pin or a ring to restrict rotation of the stay. However, when an additional component is provided, the number of components and manpower for assembling the fuel feed apparatus increases.